Testify
by risokura
Summary: The fact remains ...when I decide what I want to do, will you still be there with me? SasuNaru


Disclaimer; I don't own Naruto.

**Testify**

A low whistle of air blew through the leaves above him, tickling the trees branches, shaking leaves in every which way as they fell solemnly to the floor. Soft, scattered. His hands itched at the dark earth beneath him, catching nutrient rich soil beneath his fingernails. The sky above was growing grey, the clouds rolling low and moaned, as if they were foretelling of a future ominous event. He shifted slightly against the bark of the old dying willow tree gazing up at the sky above him. The weather had not changed for three days.

Three days, too long. His blue eyes grew smaller as he squinted at the darkening sky above his head, creases forming at their corners. His nose twitched upward as a small frown formed at the corners of his mouth. The hands moved, leaving the soil in clumps on the floor as he dusted them off on his orange pants. He let himself fall from his sitting position, pressing his face against the cool earth. He closed his eyes, inhaling sharply.

He had made it right? He had proved he had what he needed to become Rokudaime. It had been his dream as long as he could remember. But now that he had obtained it, why was he so reluctant to take responsibility for it? Why did it feel so wrong to him? He shifted against the cool earth, spreading his legs out further and tangling them within one another. He opened his eyes to mere slits, looking out into the forest in front of him.

_Do you truly want this?_

_I don't know._

Truth be told, he really didn't know.

He had spent his entire childhood fighting for where he was now and now that it was finally here he didn't know what he wanted anymore. He grimaced slightly, burying his face into the crook of his arm, inhaling in the earthy and wet smell of his jacket.

Too know. A common term used to define what we understand and what we don't. Or was it just something used to delay what we knew we'd have to face in the long run? For him, he didn't know. He didn't know if he was prepared for the responsibility. Back then, it seemed so easy, but now. What was holding him back? Was he prepared for what lied ahead of him?

His hands swept across the ground again, searching for some part of the ground that felt stable unlike his life. He was only nineteen, too young for him to take on the job now. Now the old hag had to just come out and say to him that he was going to be her successor?

What was he supposed to do?

He should have jumped for joy, run around to relay the news to everyone._I finally did it …I'm finally Hokage!_

…So what was stopping him? He didn't know anymore.

He just didn't know.

o—o

"He's not in the tower."

Sakura felt the muscles in her face constrict and tense when she heard those words. The nineteen year old medic nin sighed, letting her hands drop down from her work to look at the young jounin standing before her. How many times had he done this before? She had lost count. After massaging her temples, she pushed her chair back and stood, "I'll tell Tsunade-sama. You're dismissed."

The nin bowed, vanishing quickly in a puff of smoke.

She pushed open the heavy oak doors of her office, shaking her head as she began her ascent up to her superior's office. It was getting late and right now, she didn't need to hear Tsunade's loud mouth going off about another one of Naruto's disappearing tricks.

_And I'm the one that always has to hear her mouth. What am I? His baby sitter? _

She knocked on the door to the Hoagie's office, waiting for the fiery voice of Tsunade to usher her in. "It's Sakura,"

The doors opened moments later, Shizune stepping to the side and bowing as she allowed Sakura to walk through. Tsunade sat at her desk, sake glass in her hand, a faint blush tainting her cheeks. She looked almost peaceful in a way, something that was truly not of her natural nature. Tonton bui'ed softly, having curled herself up in Tsunade's nap for a small nap.

"Sakura." She spoke, sharp and clear, "Don't tell me he's gone again."

The young ninja shook her head, sighing, "They can't find him. He's not in his room, he's not at his child hood apartment …we even checked the old Uchiha complex, he's not there either. A few are scouting the areas outside of the village …but none have reported anything of importance thus far."

Tsunade deposited her sake bottle back on the table, swinging the rice wine in her cup. "...This is becoming a daily thing. More so in this week than ever before …"

"I know …" Sakura mumbled to herself, sighing. She turned to look back up at the older woman, "Tsunade-sama …this may seem a bit far fetched …but perhaps do you think the weather is doing this? I mean, it's been horrible for the past three days. Maybe it's upsetting his mood?"

Tsunade let out a displeased sound, finishing her current glass, "I don't know if it's the god damn weather or his god damn hormones. Whatever the case is, find him soon. I can't keep making up excuses for his disappearances when the council needs to meet with him every forsaken moment."

"Right, Tsunade-sama." Sakura bowed, backing out of the room as Shizune closed the door behind her.

When the door was closed, Tsunade sighed, looking down at Tonton in her lap. "He's just going to keep running away until he receives closure. Did Sasuke return from his mission, yet?"

o—o

_He felt it consuming him, the power of the Kyuubi. It burned his flesh, grabbing and pulling as it engulfed his entire form, evoking and sparking raw and dormant power in his inner core._

_Floating lifeless in the soft currents in the water that surrounded in him, he could feel his blood bubble and boil as he struggled to come to grips with the new power that was surging through him. He fist tightened, as he propelled himself forward to hit his target._

o—o

He felt rain.

One drop hit his cheek, waking him up from his dream. He gazed skywards, gazing at the darkening clouds overhead. A loud snap of thunder crackled through the sky as the rain quickly picked up speed and began falling at a much heavier rate than it had when he first woke up. He swatted away the dust from his clothing, standing up to survey his area of the forest.

His footsteps were light as he trampled through the forest, stumbling into thick and wet brush, twigs and leaves snapped and crunched under his feet. Water fell through the canopy of trees overhead, matting his blood hair against the sides of his face, his clothes clinging to his body. Another thunder wave rippled through the sky, as he continued to run. How long had he been asleep for? Were they looking for him?

This would make the third rain fall they had in these past three days.

His mind was racing against as he traversed through the ever green before him. He was never at rest, he was always running. Running from what? He asked himself. Running from himself, perhaps? No, that …

He caught a glimpse of Konoha finally coming into view. He loved this village even though its occupants had been far from kind to him in his youth. He had such a passion when he was younger, the fire of ideals burning bright within his core, and now …that kindle was dying. Something had doused it and he didn't know what. What was the flicker that was going to set it back on? He paused, stumbling to a stop as he stepped out into the main road.

"I've been looking for you."

It was Sai. He looked like a pale ghost among the harsh grey background that he stood in. His face was emotionless, and his eyes were hard to read. He moved to Naruto, pushing an umbrella over his head to shield him from the rain. Naruto turned around to face him, his eyes void of expression.

"Tsunade sent out a search for you a long while ago …but looks like it was useless because you came back on your own accord."

"Hm …" He was tired; he didn't want to talk right now.

They began to walk underneath the umbrella, Naruto's feet moving sluggishly against the wet soil beneath his sandals, Sai looking at him with an expression that did not belie concern, no matter what his inner feelings had been. They continued on their way to the Hokage tower in silence. The first place that Sai brought him too the minute they arrived was Sakura's office.

Sakura stood up immediately when they appeared in the doorway of her office. She leaned forward, hands on her hips, "Oi, Naruto! You're soaking wet."

He didn't even put up a fight when she ran over to him, hands racing about.

"Come on and get out of those clothes before you catch a cold!" She tugged at his jacket and folded the sopping wet article of clothing in her arms. She surveyed him over, "Go up to your room and change right now, when you're done, head to Tsunade-sama's office." She pushed the wet jacket into his arms again, "And hang up your clothing! Don't just throw them around your room like you always do!"

"Right …" His eyes were still the same as they had been for some time -- void, deep, lost and dark. He left the office, Sai following behind him.

Sakura took a seat by her desk again, breathing in deeply. _Oh, Naruto …_

o—o

Naruto flopped down on his bed, eyes drawn to a close. The sound of hot running water infiltrated his senses, the smell of steam filling the entire room. A hand pressed softly, tentatively to his back. He opened his eyes slowly, looking up at the person above him. It was Sai.

"The shower's running."

Naruto took one look at him, and shook his head into his pillow. "I'm not getting up."

"Come on, get up."

Reluctantly, Naruto stole another glance at Sai. His arms were crossed in front of his chest. He swung his hips to the side, his expression unwavering. Naruto eased off of the pillow, keeping his gaze on Sai.

He moved behind the ebony haired boy, kicking off his clothing in a haphazard trail as he entered the bathroom. The running water elicited a short groan from him as it massaged his fatigue away and vanquished the chill from his skin, replacing it with muscle easing warmth.

"Don't drown in there." Sai's voice came short from outside of the bathroom.

Naruto shook his head in the water, scrubbing over his eyes furiously. Limp blonde hair fell onto his forehead, dyed darker by the clear liquid that poured over him. The steam was starting to cloud and fog his vision. He sloshed around in the water that had gathered around his ankles, turning off the shower nozzle and reaching for a towel to dry his body down with.

Stepping outside the tub, he looked briefly at himself in the mirror, letting the towel he was drying his hair with droop loosely around his shoulders. Sai had left him clothes on the bathroom counter and he promptly put on the black tee shirt and orange pants.

"Sakura's waiting for you outside." Sai started the moment Naruto opened the bathroom door, "I have to go take care of some business, so she'll take you to Tsunade." He left the room with no further instructions, disappearing out of the door as Sakura moved aside to let him out.

She sighed, "Come on, stop looking so lost and get going. You've already taken enough time as it is. Tsunade-sama is waiting for us."

The two of them walked in silence to Tsunade's office, Naruto lagging behind Sakura most of the time. She cast sideways glances at him half the time, an uneasiness underlying on her features. His own expression was of self depreciation, as if he were fighting an inner war inside himself that could not be won. Sakura pushed the door open to Tsunade's office, ushering Naruto in before her, closing the door behind her when they were both fully in and held accounted for. "Tsunade-sama, I've brought Naruto."

"You're a mess." Was the first thing Tsunade said to him. She had her hands clasped together, the back drop of Konoha glittering behind her. She pursed her lips slightly, letting out a displeased sound. He didn't respond. Sakura leaned forward a little bit to look at him and saw that he still had that same forlorn expression on his face. "I'll cut right to the chase. I'm ordering you to go on a two weeks leave to the Noboribetsu Onsen."

He looked up at her, blue eyes weary. "A hot spring?"

"It's doing you no good just staying here." She tucked her hair behind her ears, "I've thought it over and I've decided it was the best course of action. I'll let you get out of the village, and clear your head before you take on any more responsibility than is already expected of you. Perhaps think some things over …"

He didn't object, merely shrugged his shoulders, "Am I going alone?"

"Leave the matter of security in my hands, even though you're more than capable of taking care of yourself …but we can never be to careful. Pack your bags, you leave first thing tomorrow."

o—o

_The last time he saw those onyx eyes, they were red. Pitiful and stagnant, unable to voice what they truly wanted from him. Perhaps he was blind, but underneath those endless fields of emptiness, he thought he saw a silent plea. _

**Help me.**

o—o

The morning had finally cleared, leaving in its wake puffy white clouds and a clear breathless sky. The weather Konoha had incurred for the past few days had finally dispersed and things were looking back to normal. Naruto sighed, closing his eyes and blinking them for a few moments as he walked past familiar shapes out of the Hokage tower.

He had gotten a send off from Sai, Sakura and Tsunade at the tower. Sakura had badgered him to take care of himself and to take his vacation with leisure. Sai, with his usual wordless self merely waved as he left. Tsunade gave him a rather short goodbye, and soon pushed him off on his way. When he asked her about security again, she told him that she would see who was going with him when he got to the mate gate of Konoha.

That surely eased his nerves.

He got a quick visit from Iruka, who was in the company of Kakashi at the time. Iruka had gone off on a fatherly tangent, telling him to take care of himself while he was off while Kakashi took the back burner and waved goodbye from the sidelines. A few more people came up to him to wish him a safe trip, most of which he couldn't remember. When he finally did get to the gate, he was at lost for words when he saw who was waiting for him.

"Dobe."

Sasuke.

"What are you doing back?" Naruto asked, the moment his blue eyes met onyx. Dust kicked up around his feet, sandals flying into the crevices of his sandals. "_When_did you get back?"

"Last night." Sasuke answered, folding his arms, "No sooner than I get back from my current mission, they're already breathing my neck about packing my bags and shipping me off to somewhere else. There were no details, only a, 'ask Naruto.'"

"They're sending me away for a while …" He paused. _I should have known he was the one Tsunade-baachan had in mind. _

"So this is a manner of baby sitting then?"

"No." Naruto looked down at the floor, gathering his stuff up and kicking the rubble out of his sandals. _It's more than that …_

"Then what is it?"

Naruto turned around to look at Sasuke and flashed him one of his signature grins, "Think of it …as something of a vacation."

"Lovely."

"I didn't ask her to assign you as my _personal bodyguard _or whatever it is you want to call it. Baa-chan would have done better giving me Shikamaru or Kakashi-sensei …"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Stop complaining."

"You started it." He defended himself.

"How old are you, twelve? Look, we don't have time for this." He lugged his back onto his back, "The train station is about five miles out, let's hurry up and get going." He turned around to start walking out of Konoha's gate.

…_Two weeks …_

o—o

"I think that's the place up there." Sasuke stepped onto firm soil, kicking up remnants under his feet. He looked behind him at Naruto who was lagging behind him. The blonde haired boy had been increasingly quiet during their train ride up to the onsen, and now he was barely picking up the pace as they neared their destination. He turned around frowning._ Come on, Naruto. Get it together. _He stopped, waiting for the blonde to catch up. "Could you be any slower?"

"Hmph …" Naruto didn't heed anything the ebony haired boy said in front of him. He continued behind Sasuke at the same pace he had been keeping previously. He stopped, looking at Sasuke, "You didn't have to stop."

Sasuke regarded him for a moment before turning back around and keeping the pace up. Nearing the onsen, Sasuke pushed the shoji door back, stepping into the room. He held the curtain hung over the opening up over his head, and let it drop back down when Naruto was also inside.

"Welcome." An old lady with a tightly wrapped bun and a crooked soft smile greeted them from behind the counter. "Do you have a reservation?"

"Party of two from Konoha." Sasuke replied, leaning over the counter.

"The …" The old woman squinted at the book in front of her, running an old wrinkled finger across where she was looking at, "Uchimaki party?"

"Uchiha."

"Uzumaki."

"Oooohhh." She nodded her head to the side, her squinty eyes closing, "Yes, yes. Uzuchiaki."

"Nevermind. Look, can we just …you know, have the key to the room?"

"Yes yes," She moved over slowly to the board behind her. Pushing a heavy key across the desk she looked up at them smiling, "You're in the Sakura suite. A very very very nice room, yes yes. It's on the third floor at the end of the hall. Enjoy your stay you two."

Sasuke picked the key off the counter, sliding it off into his hand. Turning around, Naruto followed him up the stairs to the landing where there room was. Sasuke looked up at the small plaque next to the room that read, _Sakura suite._ He unlocked the door and pushed it open, entering a large open space filled with fragrant flowers and various paintings.

Naruto walked in after him, kicking his sandals off before he stepped up onto the mats. Letting his bag drop to the floor by the center table, he made his way over to the balcony leading out of the room and rested his hands down on the banister in front of him.

"I'm going to go off and scout off the area. Don't wander to far, dobe." Sasuke started, pushing his own bag over to the side. He looked over his shoulder at Naruto who stayed fixated to his spot on the balcony. Sighing, he placed a hand on the heavy brass knob of the suite's door and opened it up and let himself out.

o—o

_He stood before her desk, arms crossed over in front of his chest. "What do you want me to do?" _

"…_I've ordered him to take a leave away from here. Something to help him clear his mind, maybe unwind. Get his priorities in order, even." She reclined in her seat, pressing a tight, fisted hand to her cheek, "I want you to go with him. He is beyond capable of taking care of himself, but it would be more …settling to me if I were to send him along with something of an …escort, if you will.  
_

"_A bodyguard?" He questioned._

"_To some degree yes …" She sighed._

"_Why me?" _

"_He …hasn't been himself lately." She looked up at him. "And I think you're the only one that can reach him right now."_

"_He was fine before I left."_

"_A lot of things have happened since you were gone …"_

"_It's only been two months."_

"_A lot can change in a few months, Sasuke …" She ran a stray hand through her hair, "The fact of the matter remains, I need you on this mission. So get some sleep. You leave first thing in the morning."_

o—o

How long had they known each other?

Does that really define how well you know someone though? No. It doesn't. At least, to him it didn't. He sunk lower into the bath, glancing across at the blonde who had currently waded into the deep end of the hot springs. His tan skin was slightly flushed from the heat of the springs. Sasuke raised an arm to look at his own pale skin, seeing it was starting to turn an odd red color instead of the natural flush of the boy across the way from him.

Sighing, he sunk into the spot he was sitting in and raised his head toward the heavens. Scouting was a matter of checking the perimeters of the onsen, making sure he knew the layout sufficiently well in case they were disturbed at any point.

When he returned to the room, the sun had been setting and he found Naruto curled up on a futon inside one of the rooms, covered in the thick sheets and sound asleep. He had discarded his flak jacket at the entrance of the room and his head protector was laid haphazardly above his head.

Sasuke had woken him up, suggesting that the two of them get ready to head to the private spring that their room offered. Naruto shrugged him off, mumbling that he was too tired. So, Sasuke went off to attend to other matters, knowing that chiding and bothering Naruto was going to get him nowhere. It was well past the time that the sun set did Naruto wake up and tell him he was ready to go.

So, there they were.

Sasuke on one side, Naruto on the other.

Sasuke stole another look at the blonde, watching him with guarded eyes. The minute he saw him that morning, the change in the younger boy's demeanor was automatically noticeable. Those blue eyes were no longer bright and burning with fire, they fell short of nearly a spark. This was not the Naruto he had know, had grown up with.

He wanted to ask him what had happened within the time he had been gone. His last ANBU mission had kept him away longer than he had intended, and this little grace period, although not having planned it, was actually a gift from the Gods. Even though he was just along for the sake of "protection" he doubted Naruto would let him take full control of the situation should anything arise.

He turned to look at the blonde again, seeing Naruto had moved, leaving a floating towel in his place. Sasuke shot up, only easing back down when he saw Naruto moving slowly through the spring, leaving a trail of disturbed water in his wake. He was staring at something in the water, quickly moving to catch whatever it was before it jumped into the spring.

Peering over, Sasuke moved a little from where he had been perched by to see what Naruto was doing. Naruto was holding a toad, pushing it away from the spring and over to a smaller puddle on the side to prevent the toad from falling into the larger spring.

Seeing that it was nothing, Sasuke settled back into his previous spot and let out a low sigh, staring back up at the sky above him. The stars were shining brightly, each burning with ferocious energy. Wispy clouds blew across overhead, crowding around the moon that hung lowly in the sky. Changing his view point, he turned back to Naruto who was heading over in his direction.

"Oi, Dobe." Naruto looked at him, regarding him with a blank expression. Sasuke inhaled sharply and sighed, "Are you done? They should be serving dinner to our room any minute now."

"I guess," Naruto scratched his head, "I'm kinda hungry now that you mention it."

Sasuke stood up, wrapping his towel around his waist. He shivered slightly as a small gust of wind blew by; chilling the water drops that rested on his skin, "Let's start heading in then." He stepped on the stones the lead out of the spring and headed over to the shoji door that lead back into

Naruto followed suit, crossing over the expanse of water. Grabbing his own towel, he copied Sasuke's action and padded into the room after him.

They ate in silence.

The steady clink of bowls against the table was the only melody that infiltrated the dull air between the two of them. Sasuke would occasionally glance across the table at Naruto who seemed to be warped in his own thoughts. In turn, Naruto would sometimes catch him staring, frown and then lean forward to grab something else off of a dish in front of him.

When dinner was over, they both retired to their rooms on different wings of the suite, saying the customary good night. Upon entering his room, Sasuke sighed. So the first day hadn't been exactly disastrous, but he saw no improvement in Naruto's mood. Sure, he had coaxed a few words out of him here and there, but the blonde was still holding something in.

And Tsunade had told him that **he** was the only one that could help the blonde at this point in time. What was she getting at? Naruto had barely acknowledged him the moment he saw him that morning. He stared up at the sky again through a break in the shoji door that led to the outside balcony. Sighing, he turned over in his futon, pressing a hand to his face.

He had two weeks.

Two weeks to get into Naruto's head and find out what was bothering the other man so much.

o—o

The next morning things continued on as usual. They ate breakfast in silence, and continued on about their day in silence. Naruto had taken to once again staring off into the distance while on the balcony and Sasuke passed time reviewing scrolls and working on mission reports. At night they would retire to the private hot springs adjoining their room and then sit in for dinner. Afterwards, they would retire to their own private rooms, settling in for the night.

The same pattern continued on for a while, until Sasuke decided that he had had enough of Naruto's attitude.

Sasuke stood poised outside of Naruto's room, pressing a fist against his forehead. Looking up at the shoji door before him, he pushed it open and came face to face with Naruto's back. Sighing, he taped his foot against the floor, "Naruto."

Naruto turned his head, gazing up at Sasuke with a forlorn expression. "What?"

_He's looking a bit pale …_ "We're going for a walk."

Naruto looked over his shoulder at Sasuke, raising an eyebrow, "What?"

"I didn't stutter, Dobe. Go get dressed. We're going for a walk, no objections." Naruto looked up at Sasuke's retreating form leave the room.

_What the fuck? A _**walk**,_ Sasuke? _Letting out a sound halfway between a displeased snarl and annoyance, Naruto got up and crossed his room to put some regular clothes on, shrugging out of the robes that the onsen had provided. He pushed open the shoji door when he was done, seeing Sasuke waiting for him over by the door, "Oi, what the hell are we going for a walk for?"

"You've been inside for way to long." Sasuke replied, strapping on something underneath his over coat. "So we're going out for a walk. It'll do you some good."

"I've **been** outside." Naruto protested, shaking his head.

"Going outside for daily hot spring baths hardly counts as _going outside_." Sasuke retorted. He stood up, clicking the bottom of his sandals, "Now come on."

"Sasuke …" Naruto started, biting his lower lip momentarily. Sighing, he straightened his posture and followed after Sasuke who was unlocking the door of the suite. Sasuke held the door open for him, Naruto following suit as Sasuke locked the door behind the two of them.

They headed down to the ground floor where they saw the old woman sweeping about outside of the onsen, nodding to them courteously as they stopped near her, "Oooo, you youngsters are going out for some adventuring, hm?"

"No, we're just --" Naruto started.

"The perhaps a …little stroll …_together_?" She emphasized the last part, letting out a low breathless laugh.

Naruto felt his face heat up, "It's—"

"It's …not like that." Sasuke recovered for Naruto, trying to save him from looking like a complete idiot.

"It's alright, dearie. I've heard about you alternative couples. I'm all for equal loving!" She waved a hand nonchalantly, laughing her same tired laugh. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the old woman as Naruto was looking at him with that same flushed expression he had given the old woman. "Enjoy yourself, you two are young!"

"Right …" Sasuke looked up at Naruto and motioned with his head for the two of them to start walking. Naruto followed behind him, keeping a safe distance from Sasuke, staring at the ground as the two of them continued down the path.

The old woman watched them walk away; halting her sweeping. "For an Uchiha, Sasuke-kun is awfully blind." She laughed to herself, "Tsunade-hime was right about those two."

o—o

The sun was bright and a burning fireball of energy, heating the soft brown dirt of the earth. It hung in a pastel rainbow sky, glinting in-between crevices and canopies of different trees. Sasuke sighed, looking over at his shoulder at Naruto who was dragging his feet as he followed after Sasuke. Turning back around he kept his vision focused on the road, becoming absorbed in his own thoughts.

Naruto looked up at the dark haired boy walking in front of him, and pressed his arms against his chest. _…I want to come out and say it …but I can't talk Sasuke …I can't talk. Every time you look at me, I feel like I should say something but I just can't get the words to come out. I fall short …of …of…_ He stopped momentarily, groaning into his hand. _Shit …_

Sasuke lowered his eyes, gazing up at the sky above him. The sun was currently setting and he knew the both of them would have to head back soon because it was about to get dark. Turning around, he peered over his shoulder at Naruto, "Oi, Dobe …"

Naruto didn't acknowledge him, rubbing at the temples of his head. He groaned again, stumbling a little to the left as he tried to regain his balance and stop swaying. He shut his eyes closed for a brief moment.

"…What's wrong?"

Naruto's azure eyes met those steely onyx ones again. He took a while to open his eyes, looking up at Sasuke for a good minute before feeling his whole body lurch forward. A hair breadth away from falling face first into the dirt, Sasuke was at his side immediately, looping one protective arm around Naruto's midsection.

Naruto's eyes were closed and his breathing had increased slightly. Sasuke held a tentative hand up to Naruto's forehead and frowned, "You're burning up." He pushed up, slinging one of Naruto's arms around his neck. "Can you walk?"

Naruto shook his head, pressing away from Sasuke, "I'm fine."

"Shut up, no you're not." Sasuke interjected. He pulled Naruto into a hold, pressing him against his body to push Naruto onto his back. "Stop trying to pretend that you're invincible all the time."

"Sas…" Naruto started again but was cut off by a rather vicious growl from Sasuke.

"I said shut up." Sasuke began, trying to soften his voice, "It's …quicker this way so just …you know, rest on my back until we get back to the onsen."

"You know …you're job isn't to be my baby sitter…" Naruto breathed nearly inaudibly.

Sasuke kicked off of the ground, beginning his journey through the trees at high speed, "No, but it is to protect you."

o—o

"_So this is how you were since you were born."_

_His lingering gaze of disgust bore into his inner core, burning him from the inside out with just one look. With a furl of his fingers, he destroyed the frothy mess of red chakra that surrounded the two of them. Bubbles and splashes of liquid licked at the bottom of his feet as he never wavered from the spot in which he stood._

"_Sasuke …"_

o—o

Everything was blurry, coming into the clear in small pieces as Naruto's senses cleared. Sasuke was currently hovering over him. There was a cold, wet cloth pressed to his head and it fell over with a wet sound as he turned to look at Sasuke who was sitting above him. Sasuke retrieved the cloth, dipped it in the basin next to him and deposited it back over Naruto's head, "…?"

"…You passed out." Sasuke responded. "You're running a slight fever. It broke a while ago. You've been out for a little while now." Sasuke rose to his feet. He left the room, coming back in with a white bowl on a tray. He sat back down at Naruto's side, pressing the tray to his side. _A result of running off all the time into shitty weather no doubt. _

Naruto looked up at the ceiling, blinking and not responding to Sasuke.

"The old woman downstairs made you some soup. Just leave the dish off to the side when you're done, I'll get it later."

Naruto leaned forward, hands pressed firmly against the mats underneath them. He drew the sheets up around his body. He didn't say anything else, growing quiet as he looked up at Sasuke with expectant eyes as he took the bowl of soup into his hands. _I've always wanted to say …I want you close …_

Pressing himself up against the shoji, Sasuke grunted as he sat down. Naruto had barely touched the soup, and was now looking at Sasuke for quite some time. Sasuke felt his face tighten, "What?"

Naruto opened his mouth like he was about to say something, stalled, lowered the lids of his eyes and bit his inner cheek. Dropping his gaze to the floor he shook his head, "It's nothing"

Sasuke waited for a while in uncomfortable silence before he turned back to the blonde with resolve, "…What were you going to say, Naruto?"

"Nothing." Naruto mumbled. "It doesn't matter anyway …"

"…No, it's **not **nothing." Sasuke replied, "Naruto, you've been doing nothing but moping for the entire time we've been here. You've become disengaged with reality and seem to be oblivious to everything that's going on around you. The Naruto I know was never like this, the Naruto I knew was **always **strong, never weak. He was there to fight to the end and never--"

"Shut up, Sasuke." Naruto mumbled, his voice growing a little unstable. The rustled as the blonde fisted the sheets and tried to pry him off his body, "Just, **shut up**."

"I'm—"

He sat up, throwing the sheets off of his body, "I SAID SHUT UP!" He leaned forward, "You know **nothing** about what's been going on!"

"I've been gone for two months, Naruto! Of course I don't know what's going on. As soon as I get back they send me off to baby sit you for two weeks and you expect to play detective and figure out what's wrong?!" He pushed a hand to his chest, leaning forward on one knee, "I'm the one being left out of the loop here! It's not like I'm a mind reader, Naruto!"

"No one said you were!" Naruto countered, yelling equally as loud, "But you know what Sasuke, it's alright. You can go off and continue to be oblivious to everything around you. You'll never get it. You'll never understand anything. You're blind …you're so …so blind!"

"You know …perhaps this was all a mistake. Perhaps, Tsunade chose the wrong person to come along with you."

"Why'd you take the mission if you didn't want to be with me in the first place?"

"I never said that." He replied, "I just said that Tsunade picked the wrong person."

"It sure as hell sounded like you did."

"Naruto …" Sasuke began, rubbing his head. He didn't feel like doing this right now, it was late and he was tired. The room lapsed into momentary silence as Sasuke reclined back against the shoji door again. "Look …your irrational right now. You're sick …and you need rest. Eat the rest of the soup, I don't feel like arguing with you."

"M'not hungry." Naruto mumbled pressing the bowl to the side.

"Fine, then go to sleep." Sasuke breathed out, closing his eyes. "You need rest."

"M'not tired." Naruto mumbled again, lowering his gaze.

"Then what are you, Naruto?"

Naruto blinked, looked at Sasuke and leaned back into the futon and stared up at the ceiling. Sasuke looked down at him, blinking to clear his vision. Naruto turned to look at him, eyes a misty shade of baby blue in the light of the dim candle by Naruto's side.

"…In love."

o—o

They went back to their usual way of speaking the next morning.

Naruto didn't even bother to mention what had happened the previous night. Sasuke had drawn that he was probably too delirious from the sickness to have an accurate memory of what he had said or did, so he didn't press the topic.

Naruto kept to himself, staring into the distance from the balcony every day while Sasuke kept an eye on him, reading scrolls and doing catch up work. Processing this current information had been tough. After that night, Sasuke had gone and done some 'soul searching'.

Was that the cause of Naruto's …erratic behavior as of late?

He looked up at said person, eyes aimed directly at the back of the blonde's head as he stayed perched on the balcony overlooking the onsen. Sasuke let his pen drop to the table, shifting his position as he straightened the scroll in his hand out.

Naruto …was …

The thought was preposterous and yet …

He never exactly specified if he was **in love **with Sasuke, he just told him, he was in love. Sasuke rubbed his head, extending his upper half across the table in front of him. So, maybe Sasuke was a bit slow on the uptake, he was trying. Sighing, he pressed a hand to his head and stretched out his sore muscles from having sitting in the same position for so long.

But that wasn't all that was bothering him.

He put into evaluation his own feelings for Naruto.

Granted, he cared for the boy. That was his best friend …his _rival_. He never thought of him in a romantic light …or did he? Sasuke gazed at the blonde haired boy again who was still perched at the same spot as he had been for awhile now.

He never really gave it any thought actually. To what he felt for Naruto, or his own sexuality come to think of it. He was hounded for his good looks, his _mysterious_personality and above all, his name. He was an Uchiha, a long time respected clan of Konoha. His destiny had been set even before he had been born. And now, here he was. Staring at what could possibly be an object of his desire …or something else.

Was he gay? Was he straight? Did he really have to label himself?

He knew that he cared about Naruto very much, but in a romantic sort of sense, perhaps. There had always been something about the two of them that people would have considered that was too close for friendship. Sasuke had never paid it much mind, nor did he ever care.

But now?

Now …he wasn't so sure.

o—o

It took some time and a bit of expressive thought, but when he was finally sure of his intentions, Sasuke popped the question that had been burning in his mind for quite some time, "Naruto, how do you feel about me?"

Naruto looked up at Sasuke, blue eyes alert. Sasuke was tired of silence, and he needed to know. Naruto's chopsticks were poised above his bowl of rice and his eyes were soft and unguarded, somewhat reminding Sasuke of their earlier years together.

A silence hung in the air between the two of them. Naruto placed his rice bowl down on the table, staring down at its contents. He inhaled shakily, placing his hands down on the table in front of him._ Baa-chan was right, you __**are**__ oblivious…_

_This is it_. "Naruto, tell me what's wrong."

Naruto fiddled with the bowl again, not meeting Sasuke's eyes any longer. He bit his lip.

"…Naruto."

Naruto looked back up at Sasuke, his eyes a misty aquamarine. He inhaled, looking out of the window at their side, blinking and not responding. He caught Sasuke slightly off guard when he started speaking, "As long as I can remember, I've always cared for you, Sasuke. I remember …when we were kids …I …I'd always see you off by yourself while I was with Chouji, Shikamaru and Kiba …and there was always something deep down inside that made you want to come and ask if you wanted to join us. You always seemed lonely, like you were waiting for someone to come and ask you to be their friend or something, even if you were about as social as a mule." He paused, "When we were paired up ...you know, with Sakura-chan on Team Seven, those feelings as I had in our early childhood carried over into where we were then. Maybe they even intensified a bit."

"Naru—"

"No, I'm not done." He shook his head, "Sure, we called ourselves rivals …always trying to outdo the other and get stronger. You were always there pushing me, and I was always there pushing you. Then finally, with the culmination of everything that had happened, we ended up at the Valley of the End. …That day …"

"I'll never forget your eyes from that day." Sasuke interrupted him, "…They were …"

"Despondent? Sad? Lifeless?"

"Pitying." Sasuke replied, shaking his head, "…Perhaps, maybe even guilty."

"Mmmm …" Naruto fiddled with the end of his robe, "…That day though …that day I failed you. And after that I promised myself I would never fail you again. That day when I finally saw you after so long, I wanted to do anything …**something**to beat you into submission and bring your ass back to Konoha. …And now look at where we are. Sasuke …we've been through a lot. Neither of us can deny it, but …" _How should I say this?_

"Naruto?" Sasuke questioned.

Naruto didn't meet his gaze, focusing on some distant object that hung above Sasuke's head. "Sometimes I think …if I become Hokage …I won't have a space for you in my life." He fisted his robes edges in his hands again, "I …did tell you that, didn't I?"

"No …"

"Baa-chan wants to make me Rokudaime." He replied meekly, lowering his gaze again, "It was only a matter of time. Everyone …seems really happy about it. The older generation is going to take some persuasion though, but besides that …"

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked, his voice sounding with something of an authoritative power.

Naruto looked up at him startled, eyes alert again. They softened, as he slouched his back, "…You're the first person to ask me that. Truth be told, I've been thinking about it a lot recently. I …I'm starting to think through some things. I'm …I'm second guessing myself, Sasuke. I don't think …I don't think I can do this …I …"

"Is that …what's been bothering you lately?" Sasuke asked, voice growing quiet, "Is …this …"

"The reasons for me acting so cold toward everyone? Running away from Konoha just to be alone for **one**god forsaken moment? Just so I can get away from everyone. To breath? I can't …I can't hear myself when I'm around all those people, Sasuke. I can't …I can …" _I can only hear myself when I'm with you. _"…You've missed a lot since you've been gone."

"I know." Sasuke replied, sighing, "…I'm sorry."

"…It makes me think. What am I going to do when I finally take the seat of Hokage. How will the people receive me? I …" He slumped forward on the table, "I think about it all the time. It's on my mind twenty four seven and when I think of how I'll be able to do this …I can't …"

"What happened to your will? Your resolve?"

"…I don't know." He made a pitiful squeak, "I …"

"Naruto." Sasuke tried, softly.

"I can't do this anymore." Naruto shook his head, pressing them further against his arms. "I've thought about it for a really long time and I just …I'm running around in circles Sasuke. I can't think straight anymore. But when …you're …around I feel …" _Like I can breath again …_

"…" Sasuke sighed, and whispered just so Naruto can hear him, "You love me, don't you?"

The two were both quiet, neither meeting the others gaze or moving. Sasuke kept his gaze fixated on one spot of the table. Naruto didn't move from his spot either, keeping his face pressed into his arms.

"Naruto, look at me."

The golden head did not move from the table, staying rooted to one spot. Sasuke didn't press the issue, waiting for the boy to finally lift his head and acknowledge him. When Naruto did, his blue eyes were misty again, confused and weary. "Sasuke, don't look at me like that."

"Hmmm …" Sasuke mused lowly.

"You know what you're doing." Naruto retorted, frowning.

Sasuke smiled mused again, pushing a closed fist to his cheek, "You don't have to be alone all the time, Naruto." He finally said.

Hope.

o—o

Their first kiss led to the first time they would ever make love.

It was slow and awkward, their touches bordering on nearly desperate. The soft rustle of discarded clothing and heavy breathing. Nipping and licking with each sensuous movement that was made. Time passed, slowly and aching. Warm breath ghosted against taut bodies. Tongues ran the length of sensitive skin, ears, necks, chests …down to even the most private of places. Butterfly kisses flew and trailed, meeting their ends at the hands of a vast expanse that needed no more coverage.

Hands kneaded softly and tenderly, tracing muscles as they worked around tension. Pressure, there was pressure everywhere. Maddening pressure that needed to be released. They needed friction, there wasn't enough of it. So, they moved together, both inexperienced and unsure of what to do. The final culmination was the product of their labor.

The morning after proved to be a tiny bit embarrassing for both. This was a situation neither had been placed in before. And yet, they didn't say anything to each other, for both knew what the other was thinking.

_I love you too._

o—o

The morning they left, the old woman smiled wearily as she accepted the key to their suite from Sasuke, "Leaving so soon? I enjoyed the company, dearies. Safe travels."

Sasuke bowed to her first, ushering Naruto out and the two headed off down the path that would lead them back to the main road. Leaning forward she noticed a subtle change in the closeness of the two boys. Naruto was now walking at Sasuke's side instead of behind him like previously whenever she saw the two of them together.

She smiled softly to herself, sighing gaily._ So you figured it out, hm, Sasuke-kun?_

o—o

"…So …are things going to change when we get to Konoha?" Naruto looked up at him when hopeful blue eyes.

"I don't know …" Sasuke turned to look at him. "Do you want them to change?"

"For the better." Naruto replied.

"Where do you stand?"

"…I …I think I'll know my decision for sure when we finally get back, but the fact remains …will you be there?"

"I'll be by." He linked his right hand with Naruto's left, giving it a soft squeeze. He looked over his shoulder and saw Naruto staring back at him, a soft smile unfurling on his lips. Sasuke smirked in return and pulled him in the direction of the train that would lead them back to Konoha.

_fin_


End file.
